Misty and the Easter Buneary
by Xtreme Gamer
Summary: AAML Oneshot. Ash and the gang decide to stop off in Cerulean City on their way to Pallet Town for Easter. During their stay Dawn hatches a plan to get Ash and Misty together, with some help from a certain holiday Pokémon.


Okay, I know this is a day late for Easter, but better late than never, right?

I don't own Pokémon.

**Misty and the Easter Buneary**

Easter Sunday was closing in fast on the inhabitants of the world of Pokémon. Families everywhere were preparing for the day when many of them would be outside enjoying Easter Egg hunts. The same was true for Ash Ketchum as he, Pikachu, Brock and Dawn made their way through Kanto on their way to Pallet Town. Ash had told his mother they were coming to celebrate Easter with her.

"I can't wait to get to Pallet Town," Dawn said. "From what you guys have told me it sounds like a really nice place."

"It is," Brock said.

"But first we have to make a stop in Cerulean City," Ash said. That was followed by a "Pikachupi!" from Pikachu, who was in his favorite spot on Ash's shoulder. Ash reached over and scratched Pikachu behind his ears.

"That's right, buddy. We're going to see Misty," he said. Dawn had never met Misty, but she heard enough about her from both Ash and Brock to know that she was a very special person to them, especially to Ash. That got her to thinking. She started walking close to Brock so she could talk to him without Ash hearing her.

"So Brock, just how close were Ash and Misty?" she asked.

"As close as you could get," Brock said, also speaking quiet enough to keep Ash from hearing. "They were made to be together."

"So, what happened?" Dawn asked.

"Right before Ash was to leave for Hoenn Misty got a call from her sisters asking her to come back to the Gym," Brock said. "Because of that Misty couldn't travel with us anymore."

"That's so sad," Dawn said.

"Yeah," Brock said. "Since then Ash has never been the same. Sure he still looks and acts the same as he always did, but with Misty gone it's like a part of him is missing." Dawn knew this was a wrong that couldn't remain. If it was the last thing she did she would see Ash and Misty reunited and traveling once again. But she knew she'd need some help.

"Say, just how many sisters does Misty have?" she asked.

"She has three lovely… beautiful… gorgeous… amazing…" This wasn't exactly the help she needed at the moment. Brock was completely useless once he was in his girl-craze mode. Still, now that she knew Misty had three sisters she could begin working out her master plan.

xXXx

Misty could barely contain her excitement. Not only was Easter soon to arrive, but her friends were even closer. Earlier that day she had gotten a call from Ash saying that he, Brock and Dawn were heading toward Cerulean City and wanted to stop by and see her.

"I can't believe I'm going to see Ash again!" she said. She was alone in her room with only her Marill to keep her company. Her Azurill had evolved a while back during a rather difficult Gym battle.

"Ma Rill Mar Ill Ma Marillrill Marill (I can't wait to see Pikachu again)," Marill said. Misty smiled at her Pokémon. Just as she had was excited about seeing Ash again Marill was excited about seeing Pikachu again. Last time they had met Marill was still an Azurill, but Misty could see something forming between the two of them, something she had hoped would start forming between herself and Ash.

"_Maybe this time I can work up the courage to finally tell him,"_ she said to herself. Before she could get any deeper into her thoughts she heard Daisy calling her from downstairs.

"Misty! Your guests are, like, here!" she said. With the excitement of having her friends visit still flowing in her body Misty excitedly made her way downstairs, Marill following close behind.

xXXx

Nothing about the Gym had changed. Ash hadn't been there in a long time, but he knew his way around like it was his own house. As he waited for Misty to come down he looked around at everything. The one thing that caught his attention was a picture on the coffee table. It was of him, Misty, Brock and their Pokémon when they were at the Johto Silver Conference. He found it hard to believe that shortly after that picture was taken his world would have been torn down right before his eyes. Pikachu could sense his trainer's mood changing and gave him a worried glance.

"Chu Pika, Pikapi? (You okay, Ash)," He asked.

"Yeah," Ash replied. "I was just… thinking."

"Chupi Pi Pikachupi Pi Ka Chu? (About when Misty had to leave?)" Pikachu asked. Ash just nodded in response. Right then an ear-piercing scream filled the air. Thinking it was trouble Ash ran towards the sound, only to find Brock being dragged away by Croagunk while Dawn, Daisy, Lily and Violet looked on. Ash had the mother of all sweat-drops at the sight.

"Man, and I thought it was something bad," he said.

"You mean to tell me my job has been filled by Pokémon now? What is the world coming to?"

"Pikachupi! (Misty!)" Pikachu cheered as he jumped off of Ash's shoulder and into Misty's arms.

"Hi there, Pikachu!" Misty said, hugging the yellow electric rodent.

"It's great to see you again, Misty!" Ash said, going over to greet his long-time friend.

"It's great to see you again too, Ash," Misty replied. Right then Misty noticed Dawn approach them.

"You must be Dawn," she said, extending her hand in friendship.

"That's right," Dawn replied. "Ash and Brock have told me so much about you." She shook Misty's hand.

"_She sure is nice. No wonder Ash likes her," _Dawn said.

"So, how long are you going to be here?" Misty asked.

"Well, I did promise my Mom we were going to be in Pallet Town for Easter," Ash said.

"That's not that far off," Misty said. "Even traveling as fast as you could you guys will be cutting it close."

"I know, and I was really hoping to spend some more time catching up with you," Ash said. Dawn looked at the two of them. They had just gotten there and already they were talking about when they had to leave. This was not something she could let happen.

"Why are we talking about this? Let's just forget about when we have to leave and just enjoy being together," she said.

"I agree," Brock added, scaring all four of them.

"Brock! How in the world did you recover so fast?!" Misty asked.

"That's something we'll never know," Ash replied. Ash, Misty and Pikachu then headed towards the pool area of the Gym, leaving Brock and Dawn behind. Brock was about to go join them when Dawn stopped him.

"Hold on a second," she said.

"What is it, Dawn?" Brock asked.

"I'm going to need your help with something," she said. "It's high time we get Ash and Misty together."

"Believe me, I've been trying for years to get that to happen," Brock said.

"Maybe so, but I've got a plan," Dawn replied, fingering one of her Poké balls.

xXXx

Ash and Misty sat in the bleachers while all their Pokémon played around the pool. Most of Misty's Pokémon were swimming in the pool, which included Gyarados, Horsea, Psyduck, Starmie and Corsola. Ash's Buizel was swimming with them. Chimchar and Turtwig were chasing each other around the pool, being careful not to fall in. Pikachu and Marill were flying through the air on Staravia and Gligar.

"I love all the new Pokémon you have, Ash," Misty said.

"Thanks," Ash replied. "Yours are looking as strong as ever."

"Thanks, Ash," Misty said.

"So, how are things here at the Gym?" Ash asked.

"It's a bit tough," Misty said. "My sisters have no sense or responsibility. Most of the time I'm left here to run things on my own."

"In other words same old, same old," Ash said.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Misty said. "What about you? How are things in Sinnoh?"

"It's… okay," Ash replied. Misty noticed that he was a bit hesitant to answer, but didn't think too much about it. The two of them sat in silence, watching the Pokémon play. Then, Dawn came running in.

"Hey guys! You want to have an Easter Egg hunt?" she asked.

"Isn't it a bit early for that?" Misty asked. "Easter's not for a few more days."

"I know, but since we have to get going to make it to Pallet Town by then we thought that we'd have one here before we left," Dawn explained.

"That sounds like a great idea," Ash said. "Let's do it, Misty." Misty smiled. Ash's enthusiasm was one of the many things she loved about him.

"Okay, I'm game," she said.

"Great!" Dawn said. "Your sisters said there's a perfect spot to have it just on the outskirts of the city towards Mt. Moon."

"Well, what are we waiting for," Ash said. He and Misty recalled all their Pokémon except Pikachu and Marill. The two Pokémon took their spots on their respective trainers' shoulder. With everything in order Ash, Misty and Dawn left the Gym on their way to the location of their Easter Egg hunt.

xXXx

The weather couldn't have been more perfect. The sun was as bright as you'd expect and there wasn't a cloud to be seen anywhere. The place picked out was a large field near a forest just outside the city limits. Daisy, Lily, Violet and Brock (with Croagunk supervising) were already there when Dawn, Ash and Misty arrived.

"Like, it's about time you got here," Daisy said.

"You didn't think we'd come?" Misty asked.

"It's not that," Lily said. "We, like, just needed someone here to keep Brock under control."

"What's wrong with Croagunk?" Ash asked.

"He's, like, really creepy," Violet said. Croagunk didn't seem affected by Violet's comment. He just sat there croaking.

"No argument here," Ash said.

"So, now that everyone's here, let's get this hunt started!" Dawn said. With a resounding cheer from everyone else the group started searching for the many eggs hidden in the area. One by one the eggs were found. Misty and Ash were searching together, as were Pikachu and Marill.

"With the four of us working as a team we'll be sure to find the most eggs," Ash said.

"I don't think this is a competition, Ash," Misty said.

"But we can still treat it like one, right?" Ash asked. That was another thing she loved about him. His competitive nature. There were so many things about Ash she loved it was no wonder she was head-over-heels in love with him. The problem was she wasn't sure if he felt the same. While she was lost in her thoughts something caught her attention. She wasn't sure but Misty could have sworn she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. She glanced over and saw something she couldn't believe.

"Ash, look!" she said, pointing towards the forest. Ash looked and saw what had Misty's attention. There, hopping into the forest, was Buneary carrying what looked like a basket.

"Was that what I think it was?" Ash asked, not believing his own eyes.

"I think it was," Misty replied. "It had to be the Easter Buneary! My mother used to tell me stories about the Easter Buneary when I was young."

"I thought it was just a fairy tale," Ash said. The next thing Ash knew Misty had got up and started running towards the forest.

"Hold up, Misty! Where are you going?!" he called.

"I'm going to find that Buneary!" she replied.

"What?! But why?!" he asked.

"I just know it's the Easter Buneary!" Misty replied. With that Misty disappeared into the forest.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Ash yelled. He got up and gave chase. Pikachu and Marill noticed their trainers leave and followed them shortly after. Out of the corner of her eye Dawn saw them leave, chasing the Easter Buneary. She smiled as she thought about what would happen next.

"_It's all up to you now," _she said.

xXXx

Ash, Misty, Pikachu and Marill were still running through the forest, intent on catching up to the Easter Buneary. Unfortunately they had lost its trail shortly after entering the forest. Marill was using her large ears to try and hear it while Pikachu tried to sniff it out. Ash and Misty resorted to using their eyes to try and spot it.

"Are you sure it went this way?" Ash asked.

"I'm pretty sure I saw it go this way," Misty replied. Determined to find it Misty continued looking. Ash helped, but most of the time his eyes were on Misty. The fact that she was here with him, with no Brock or Dawn, was absolutely perfect. Sure Pikachu and Marill were with them, but it didn't matter to him. To Ash this was just like the early days on his journey when it was just him, Misty and their Pokémon, and to Ash those were the best days of all.

"There it is, Ash!" Misty yelled. Ash looked up just in time to see the Buneary in question hop deeper into the forest.

"Let's go!" she said. She, Ash and their Pokémon resumed their chase, intent on catching it this time. While they chased the Buneary Ash couldn't help but get excited, not because of the chase but for the fact that he and Misty were, in a way, reliving the early days of their journey. But just as Ash was starting to enjoy that feeling they exited the forest. The scene that awaited them took their breath away.

"Wow…" That was all Misty could say. The Easter Buneary had lead them to a beautiful meadow filled with flowers that had just bloomed. A small stream ran through the middle of the meadow.

"I didn't know there was a place like this around here," Ash said.

"Neither did I," Misty added. The two trainers continued to stare at the meadow in front of them when Pikachu and Marill snapped them out of it. The two Pokémon were calling them from the stream, where they had made a couple of new friends.

"Look, Ash! Luvdisc!" Misty said. Pikachu and Marill had found a pair of Luvdisc and had made friends rather quickly. Misty walked over to them and knelt down by the stream.

"They're so cute," she said. Both Luvdisc smiled as Misty started petting them. Ash stood back and watched, his eyes never leaving Misty. In his mind Ash recalled what his Pokédex had said about them once.

"_A couple finding this Pokémon will be blessed with eternal love,"_ he said. _"Eternal love, huh."_ The more he thought about it the more he believed that maybe, just maybe, he had a chance. Maybe he and Misty could be together the way he hoped. As he continued to watch Misty and the Pokémon he made a decision. He slowly approached the stream and knelt down beside Misty.

"They're really cute, aren't they," Misty said.

"Yeah," Ash replied. The Luvdisc looked at them, sensing that there was something between them. While one stayed by Misty the other swam over to Ash. He reached out and pet the Luvdisc, getting a smile out of him.

"… Misty," Ash said.

"Yeah?" Misty replied.

"You remember when I told you things in Sinnoh were okay?" Ash said. Misty nodded, remembering that she had asked him about that earlier that day.

"Well, I wasn't being entirely truthful," Ash said.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked.

"What I mean is… things in Sinnoh aren't going as well as I want them to," Ash said. "Things are tough, a lot tougher than I thought. And I think I know why." At that moment Ash took Misty's hands in his.

"It's because you're not there," Ash said.

"What?! M-Me?!" Misty replied, sounding a bit shocked. Secretly she was hoping that this would lead to the one thing she had been dreaming of, but she decided to wait and see rather than get her hopes up too high.

"Exactly," Ash said. "Sinnoh is the biggest challenge I've faced so far, but not because there are tougher trainers there. It's because, ever since Johto, I've been incomplete."

"What do you mean?" Misty asked, a slight bit of hope in her voice.

"Ever since you left to go take care of the Gym it's like a part of me has been missing," Ash said. "When you came to see me in the Mirage Kingdom, and then when you were waiting for me at home before I took the Battle Frontier challenge, that feeling went away. I was whole again."

"W-What re you trying to say, Ash?" Misty asked, her eyes slowly filling with unshed tears.

"I'm saying that you complete me. Without you… without you I'm not the person I used to be," Ash said. "I need you by my side, Misty. I need to know that, no matter what happens, you'll be there for me."

"Ash, I…" Misty couldn't find the words. She was left speechless by what Ash had just said. But Ash had one more thing to say.

"Misty… over the past few days I've thought of you more and more," he said. "The more I've thought about it the more clear it has become… I love you." By now Misty couldn't hold the tears in anymore. She threw her arms around Ash in a loving hug.

"I love you too, Ash!" she cried. "I… oh, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this!" Ash was a bit surprised, but eventually he hugged her back, thanking whoever was responsible for this. After a few seconds they pulled away. Misty looked into Ash's eyes, just as Ash did with Misty. Then, as if they were being commanded by an unknown force, they moved closer to each other until their lips touched. Right then the world froze. There was no sound, no movement. Just the two of them. Minutes later they separated, but continued to look into each other's eyes.

"That was…" Ash said.

"Incredible," Misty said, finishing what he started. The couple smiled, glad to know that the other shared their feelings. Right then the two Luvdisc started jumping in and out of the water.

"Looks like they're happy to see us together," Misty said.

"Not as happy as I am," Ash said. Misty looked at him and smiled before the two moved in for another kiss, their search for the Easter Buneary completely forgotten.

xXXx

Hidden in the forest Dawn watched as Ash and Misty sat by the stream, Ash's arm around Misty. She smiled, happy know that she had a part in this.

"They deserve each other," she said. Right then her Buneary hopped up to her, still carrying her Easter basket. Dawn picked her up and hugged her.

"You did great, Buneary," she said.

"Bu Neary (I know)," Buneary said. She looked towards the stream with her trainer, but her gaze was one of sadness. Dawn noticed that Buneary's eyes were on Pikachu and Marill. They were sitting next to their trainers, their tails intertwined.

"I know you had your heart set on Pikachu but it looks like someone got to him before you did, just like someone got to Ash before me," Dawn said.

"Bun (Yeah)," Buneary replied. Buneary still sounded a bit depressed, but Dawn knew what to do to make her feel better.

"I'll tell you what," she said. "The first chance I get I'm going to catch a Pikachu of my own. Then you'll have someone to be with. How does that sound?" Buneary's mood picked up. It wouldn't be the same, but it would be a start.

"Buneary (Okay)," she said. Dawn gave her Pokémon a nod before getting up and heading back to the others. Before she left she took one last look at Ash and Misty. She smiled, glad to know that from now on they would always have each other.

* * *

And there you have it. I hope you all enjoyed that.

Please review


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